This invention relates to apparatus for producing finished booklets from a plurality of sheets and, more particularly, to such apparatus adapted to deliver a finished booklet to an operator accessible location outside the apparatus instead of delivering the booklet to a collection station inside the apparatus.
It is known to provide copier/duplicators with finishing apparatus to enable production of one or more finished booklets from a multi-page original document with the booklets being delivered stacked in a pile or on a tote tray. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,595, which issued on Jan. 9, 1973 in the names of L. H. Turner et al, and commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,672, which issued on Jan. 16, 1979 in the names of L. E. Burlew et al. Such patents disclose the production of booklets from sets of copy sheets produced by a copier/duplicator. The booklets can be either stapled or unstapled, and stacked either in alignment or offset from each other when delivered to a collection station. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,425, issued on Sept. 25, 1984 from patent application Ser. No. 380,966, filed May 24, 1982 in the names of R. C. Baughman et al and entitled BINDING APPARATUS AND METHOD relates to apparatus for forming booklets from sets of copies received from a duplicator either by stapling the sheets of a set together as, for example, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,672, or, alternatively by using a liquid adhesive to bind adjacent sheets of the set together.
Copier/duplicators with finishing apparatus as disclosed in the patents and application referred to above may be used to produce many booklets with each booklet comprising many sheets. When the apparatus is used for relatively long production runs, the operator may wish to obtain the first booklet produced, or some subsequent booklet produced, before the job run is completed. This permits the operator either to check the operation of the apparatus or to provide one booklet quickly for delivery to the person ordering the booklets. This need can be satisfied by providing an opening in the apparatus through which the operator can manually remove a booklet from a station in the apparatus where finished booklets are collected. Such an opening is shown in FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,672. However, if the operator has unrestricted access to the areas of the finisher where the copy sets are produced and delivered, there is a possibility that the operator would be exposed to potentially hazardous situations involving operation of the mechanical and/or electrical parts of the finisher. Such situations can be avoided by providing an access door or cover that is interlocked such that the finisher is stopped when the door or cover is opened. In this regard, reference is made to the description beginning in column 12 at lines 53 of the beforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,595 which describes a solenoid operated lock mechanism for holding the cover of the finisher apparatus locked until completion of a job. While such apparatus may provide adequate protection for the operator, it also prevents the operator from obtaining a copy of the first booklet produced, or some other subsequently produced booklet, during the production run without stopping the apparatus.
Another alternative is for the operator to first program the machine to produce a single booklet, to inspect that booklet and then proceed with production of additional booklets as required. This is not only more time consuming and reduces productivity of the apparatus, but also is not desireable because the apparatus requires less maintenance when it is used primarily for relatively long production runs.
The apparatus of the present invention eliminates the problems associated with customer access to the mechanical and/or electrical apparatus of the finishing apparatus but still allows the operator to obtain one finished booklet from the apparatus without stopping a long production run.